Hand device for operating sewing-machines.



No, 844,187. PATENTED EEB. Iz, 1907.

M. J. NAPIEE. HAND -DEVICE EUR OPERATING SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1906.

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No. 844,187. PATENTED FEB.12, 1907` M. J. RAPIER.

HAND DEVICE FOR OPERATING SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NvE/voh I MlLoRED JHAPIER l ATTORNEYS MILDRED J. HAPTER, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

HAND DEVlCE FOR OPERATING SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907. j

Application filed August l1, 1906. Serial No. 330,241.

T0 all whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, MILDRED J. RAPIER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Beaumont, inthe county of Jefferson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Devices for Operating Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in attachments for sewing-machines by means of which the machine may be driven by hand, either alone or in conjunction with the usual treadle. v

The object of this improvement is to provide a device which shall be capable of rapid and easy adjustment, whereby it may be put into combination withl the drive-wheel of a machine to enable persons who through illness, accident, weakness, Sac., are incapable of operating the ordinary foot-treadle of a machine to operate sewing-machines by hand-power.

To these ends my invention consists of an uprightA rod, extending upwardly through the table of a machine and pivotally connected at its lower end to the upper end of the treadle-pitman.

It consists, further, in detachableA and adjustable means at the lower end of the said rod and the upper end of the pitman,

Tt consists, further, in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully shown and described, and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement applied to a machine, the table and other parts being shown in outline. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improvement, showing manner of attachment to pitman of machine. Fig. 8 is a front elevation, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clasp to be attached to upper end of pitman. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of table, showing gutta-percha or hard-rubber bushing. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clamp-ring.

tened at its lower end and fits between the ears (l d of clamp D, having a bifurcated lower end, the bifurcations d d fitting over the upper end of the usual pitman E', the lower end 0f which is connected, as usual, with the treadle of the machine. what springy or elastic in nature, ,and over the bifurcations d d is slid the yoke-ring F, through which is threaded a set-screwj, by means of which the yoke-ring can be held at any point and the elastic arms or bifurcations held securely to the upper end of the treadle-pitman.

The clamp D is provided with an opening d2 between the ears d d to receive the upper end of the adjusting-screw G commonly used in connection with the nut g to secure the pitman to the crank-pin of the ily-wheel of a machine. This opening d2, in conjunction with the screw-pin G, prevents the clamp D from shifting with respect to the pitman E.

To the upper end of the rod B is screwed the head or cap B', forming a convenient handgrip for manipulating the attachment.

ln order to relieve the operator of the weight of the treadle when operating the machine by hand, I propose to make the pitman in two sections E and E', the upper'section, E, which is to be connected to the crank-pin of the fly-wheel, being much shorter than the lower section. Each section is provided with a threaded projection e e, upon which is threaded the nut e. This nut can be screwed off the threaded projection at the lower end of section E, entirely separating and uncoupling the two sections and throwing the treadle H out of gear. j

When it is desired to use the treadle at the same time as the hand attachment, the sections E and E will of course be coupled up. vWhen it is desired to use the treadle exclusively, the sections E and E being coupled,

The clamp D is made some- IOO drop through the bushed opening a in the table until the head or cap B rests on the guttapercha or hard-rubber bushing a', or the head B may be taken olf and the rod allowed to pass entirely through the ta'ble and removed from the machine.

It will thus be seen that I produce a device by means of which invalids, cripples, and others may conveniently and easily operate a sewing-machine, and one which consists of few parts, which are readily separable and removable.

IIO

The ears d d are provided with the openings d3 and d4, the latter of' which is threaded to receive the threaded end of the bolt C', which passes through said ears and the [lattened end of joint-rod C and forms a pivotal connection between the rod B and the pitman of the machine.

I claim- 1. An attachment for sewing-machines consisting of an upright rod adapted to pass upwardly through an opening in the table 0f the machine and having its lower end. threaded, a clamp member adapted to be detachably secured to the upper end of the pitman of the machine, said clamp having spaced up- -Wardly-extending ears, and a joint-rod pivotally held at its lower end between said ears, and having a threaded upper end adapted for engagement with the threaded lower end of the upright rod.

2. An attachment for sewing-machin es consisting of an upright rod adapted to pass upwardly through an opening in a machinetable, and having its lower end threaded, a clamp member having downwardly-extending arms adapted to be detachably secured to the upper end of the pitman of the machine, spaced upwardly-extending ears at the upper end of the clamp, said clamp having an opening through the same between the ears adapted to receive the upper end of a pin in the upper end of the pitman, a joint-rod pivotally held at its lower end between said ears and having its upper end threaded for engagement with the threaded lower end of the upright rod.

3. An attachment for sewing-machines consisting of an upright rod adapted to pass upwardly through an opening in a machinetable and having its lower end threaded, a clamp member having resilient downwardlyextending arms adapted to it the upper end of the pitman of the machine, a slidable ring surrounding said resilient arms, said clamp member having its upper end pivotally secured to the lower end of the upwardly-extending rod which extends through the machine-table.

MILDRED J. RAPIER. Witnesses:

MINNIE LAFITT, WALTER J. CRAWFORD. 

